1. Technical Field
This invention generally relates to devices for the safe keeping of currency, and in particular this invention relates to a device for safely storing and sorting currency, both by denomination and chronological time of insertion.
2. Background Art
Retail outlets, such as grocery stores, gas stations, fast food stores and especially convenience stores, because of their numerous locations, hours of operation, and large amount of cash on hand, have become favorite targets for robberies. As a counter measure, store owners have installed deposit only safes, in which the clerk on duty can deposit money into the safe but cannot withdraw money out of the safe. A typical 24-hour convenience store, for instance, might run anywhere from three to six individual shifts, where each employee of a particular shift deposits money into the safe throughout his shift in order to limit accessible cash. While these safes serve well to help combat robberies, they create several new problems for the store accountant. Upon opening the safe, the store accountant finds a pile of currency of various denominations where each shift's deposit is indistinguishable from another.
A partial solution to the piling problem is offered by L. B. REESE, JR., U.S. Pat. No. 3, 101,892, which teaches a bill receiving cash box which holds bills in a stacked array. The device of REESE uses a pair of rollers to draw the bills into the interior of the box where they are deposited and held in a stacked array. REESE does not teach any way of separating the bills by either denomination or by chronological time of deposit, i.e. by shift.
A similar stacking device is taught by DOUNO, U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,669, which teaches a bill pusher which pushes bills drawn in through a slot down onto a stack. DOUNO's device uses a floating bottom which is spring biased upwardly. Like the device of REESE, the device of DOUNO does not make any provisions for separating the currency either by denomination or by shift.
What is needed is a secure storage device for currency which separates the currency both by denomination and by chronological time of insertion. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide such device.